Kotaku has a follow-up to Stardock's recent lawsuit against Alexandra Miseta over what the company alleges was its former marketing manager's role in the shortcomings of Elemental: War of Magic. They have court documents showing that before being sued herself, Miseta had already brought her own lawsuit against Stardock CEO Brad Wardell for sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination, and that Stardock's lawsuit came three weeks after a judge denied their request to dismiss her case. In addition to details from the sexual harassment case, they offer accounts from an anonymous alleged former Stardock employees refuting the idea that Miseta was responsible for Elemental's failure. They say Wardell has not yet responded to their request for comment on this.

There is a "man world" out there. A land where a man can take the take any action he needs to solve his own problems. A land where a man can pull himself up by his own boot straps and "build it himself." A land unfettered by silly laws and regulations: Somalia.

I'll buy you a one way ticket there if you promise to never return to the socialist nanny-states known collectively as "Western civilization"

I'm a computer enthusiast posting on a gaming website and - more importantly - it is perfectly legal for me to have such a signature. Whereas it most certainly is not legal to put somebody in hospital simply because you have anger management issues and an underdeveloped cerebral cortex.

Again you demonstrate your immaturity. You seem to have a real desire for attention and for some reason seem to seek validation from random online posters. You strike me as a very insecure individual.

theyarecomingforyou wrote on Sep 7, 2012, 12:40:That is exactly the sort of macho behaviour people have been complaining about. If you would put somebody in hospital because they made demeaning comments and touched somebody's hair then you're not right in the head. Who are you trying to impress with your macho bullshit? Brad Wardell is a dickhead and he's almost certainly guilty (hasn't he pretty much admitted as much?) but that's what the law is therefore.

Verno wrote on Sep 7, 2012, 08:46:Plenty of women don't want a "mans man", they can get one of those easily at a bar. Go look at a dating site sometime, I bet less half of the profiles mention "good with his hands" anymore. The whole spiel of MEN MUST BE TOUGH! attitude is antiquated, everyone must be tough and self-sufficient in today's society. The idea that only a man can have a dominant personality or physicality is silly.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a man and identify with mens issues more than womens but we're not stuck in the 60s anymore no matter how much Mad Men you guys watch

Your post confuses me. If your idea being "tough" is filing a lawsuit against some guy for flirting with you... well then I pray you never have to set foot outside of your velvet lined bubble. Perhaps if you speak Spanish, ask your landscaper to describe the life he left behind in Mexico. Might give you some perspective.

As others have mentioned, the pussification of America is in full swing. You can't exactly explain what it means to be a man to someone who has never had to be one, and is constantly hand held and coddled throughout his life. I'll give you a small hint though, if you are 30 years old, live with 5 roommates and smoke pot with them while complaining about the state of "society"... you are not a man.

Ad hominem attcks, the last refuge of someone whose argument has no legs. Needless to say I think most of us here at bluesnews are probably slightly older than 30 and I think most are family people...That certainly doesn't describe everyone, of course.

When child labor laws were passed, I'm sure there were plenty of people ready to decry it as 'the pussification of 'merica' Just like with then, I don't think employee protections is making anyone a pussy.

You may consider them pussies, but I think the person who takes the abuse up the tailpipe (as you've suggested multiple times you're willing to do.) is a bigger pussy than the person who doesn't sit there and tolerate abuse day in and day out. Cowing to their abuse and harassment may be something your okay with, but most of us expect more from a civilized society.

Maybe you and Brad can go start some Randian Fantasy Land after he theoretically shutters his company for getting sued and you guys can crap all over employee rights.

BobBob wrote on Sep 7, 2012, 12:24:If someone harassed my wife like that I'd put him in the hospital for a week.

And they'd put you in jail for a decade.

Not in man world, son.

Lol.

Which is exactly why these legal protections are in place, before these protections existed it may have been handled in different ways, as a civilized society we'd be fools to not have protections in place for people.

Mr. Tact wrote on Sep 7, 2012, 11:37:Congrats Prez and Verno.... you prove my point. One of you looks at this and sees "slightly crass" behavior -- the other sees "offenses she alleges are not a halfway thing open to interpretation."

Well, clearly they are open to interpretation since the two of you just interpreted them differently. Like I said, we'll never know the truth. Heck, the two of them may never know the truth.

Well, part of the problem is that we don't know all the facts, so there's a degree of speculation. I mean, there's no reason to believe the emails aren't factual, but a lot of the deposition stuff hasn't been released. There could be a lot more to it (or nothing more to it) than we've been told.

So what people are going to take from it depends on how reliable they feel the information we've been presented is. Prez obviously doesn't feel it's terribly reliable, where Verno does. Hence their different interpretations.

After Stardock's major screwup with Demigod (it had so much potential if it was even supported even 1/4 as much as HoN or LoL). However, they thought instead of making a service like most companies are doing nowadays with entertainment software he'd do a standard old school PC release. One big release and a couple maintenance patches. Which doesn't work for breathing living environments like MOBAs (or A-RTS if you prefer) or MMOs that require constant balancing and tweaking. What a mess.

Obviously we'll need to see how the court rules but the offenses she alleges are not a halfway thing open to interpretation, there is no set of circumstances where touching your employees in a provocative manner or sitting in your pajamas in their hotel room is acceptable. He was in the wrong from the beginning but the real problem is his refusal to change and the comment that "if you don't like it then find another job".

As for slightly crass, this is a guy who said in a different email to the HR manager that he would shutter the company rather than change his behavior. I have no problem believing that this went beyond slightly crass and that he has no idea where the line is, let alone know that he crossed it long ago.

+1

BobBob wrote on Sep 7, 2012, 12:24:If someone harassed my wife like that I'd put him in the hospital for a week.

That is exactly the sort of macho behaviour people have been complaining about. If you would put somebody in hospital because they made demeaning comments and touched somebody's hair then you're not right in the head. Who are you trying to impress with your macho bullshit? Brad Wardell is a dickhead and he's almost certainly guilty (hasn't he pretty much admitted as much?) but that's what the law is therefore.

Mr. Tact wrote on Sep 7, 2012, 11:37:Congrats Prez and Verno.... you prove my point. One of you looks at this and sees "slightly crass" behavior -- the other sees "offenses she alleges are not a halfway thing open to interpretation."

Well, clearly they are open to interpretation since the two of you just interpreted them differently. Like I said, we'll never know the truth. Heck, the two of them may never know the truth.

I agree. But that what is a court of law is for - the evidence is provided and the jury gives its opinion. I just throw my opinion out there (hence the "to me" at the end of my statement), but it's no more or less valid than one of the bipolar opposite view as far as I'm concerned.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Mr. Tact wrote on Sep 7, 2012, 11:37:Congrats Prez and Verno.... you prove my point. One of you looks at this and sees "slightly crass" behavior -- the other sees "offenses she alleges are not a halfway thing open to interpretation."

I meant more within the confines of the sexual harassment law of Michigan, not my personal opinion but obviously the lawyers and judges will sort that out.

Your post confuses me. If your idea being "tough" is filing a lawsuit against some guy for flirting with you... well then I pray you never have to set foot outside of your velvet lined bubble. Perhaps if you speak Spanish, ask your landscaper to describe the life he left behind in Mexico. Might give you some perspective.

Bahaha, she should have instead challenged him to a WWE bout, football trivia or shot him like Real Men™ would! I would think someone complaining about pussification would be all about defending yourself the best way you can. If anything his lawsuit is more frivolous, hes the one going for a mil in damages. All of that aside, I have no idea why you directed that at me, I was responding to InBlack about a totally different comment so

Verno wrote on Sep 7, 2012, 08:46:Plenty of women don't want a "mans man", they can get one of those easily at a bar. Go look at a dating site sometime, I bet less half of the profiles mention "good with his hands" anymore. The whole spiel of MEN MUST BE TOUGH! attitude is antiquated, everyone must be tough and self-sufficient in today's society. The idea that only a man can have a dominant personality or physicality is silly.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a man and identify with mens issues more than womens but we're not stuck in the 60s anymore no matter how much Mad Men you guys watch

Your post confuses me. If your idea being "tough" is filing a lawsuit against some guy for flirting with you... well then I pray you never have to set foot outside of your velvet lined bubble. Perhaps if you speak Spanish, ask your landscaper to describe the life he left behind in Mexico. Might give you some perspective.

As others have mentioned, the pussification of America is in full swing. You can't exactly explain what it means to be a man to someone who has never had to be one, and is constantly hand held and coddled throughout his life. I'll give you a small hint though, if you are 30 years old, live with 5 roommates and smoke pot with them while complaining about the state of "society"... you are not a man.